The present disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method, and a program therefor. In more detail, the present disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method, and a program therefor with which a display is realized where sense of discomfort is suppressed when an overlap display of additional information such as a message, a superimposed title, or an icon on another three-dimensional image object is carried out in a three-dimensional image display.
In these days, display apparatuses that can display a three-dimensional image (3D image) such as a television set and a PC and also a video camera, a still camera, and the like that can record a three-dimensional image (3D image) have been developed and utilized. Display processing is carried out on the 3D image by utilizing images picked up from different view points, in this instance, an image for the left eye and an image for the right eye.
In a case where the above-mentioned display of the three-dimensional image is carried out, when the additional information such as a message, a superimposed title, an error display, a menu, or an icon is overlapped on the three-dimensional image to be displayed, depending on a state of the three-dimensional display, a sense of discomfort may be generated when the additional information is overlapped, and a problem occurs upon the visual recognition of the three-dimensional image.
For example, in a case where the additional information is displayed at a position of just 0 in terms of a three-dimensional depth location (a center in a depth direction (far side)/a pop-up direction (near side) of the display image), in a case where an object part subjected to a pop-up display which is displayed on the near side with respect to the 0 position is overlapped with the display position of the additional information, a situation is developed in which a part of the object (display object) popping up toward the near side visually looks retracted in the back, which causes a viewer to have the sense of discomfort.
A related-art technology disclosing a configuration for solving the above-mentioned situation includes Domestic Re-publication of PCT international Publication for Patent Application No. W2008/41313: Image display apparatus (Pioneer), which will be referred to as Patent Document 1.
With regard to the additional information overlapped on the original three-dimensional image, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of changing a relative position of the additional information in the depth direction, setting the additional information at the display on the nearest side which has the maximum parallax, and further, changing the display position to change the overlapping position.
However, similarly as in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, if a dynamic control is carried out where the additional information is regularly placed immediately before the object having the most intense pop-up effect in a three-dimensional moving image display, the visibility becomes deteriorated since the display position of the additional information itself is changed.
To avoid this, for example, a setting of fixing the display position of the additional information is conceivable so that the additional information is regularly located in front of all objects of the three-dimensional image constituting a series of moving images. However, in this setting, the additional information is displayed in front of the position having the maximum right-and-left parallax. In a case where the three-dimensional image is located relatively in the depth direction, since a difference of the depth between the three-dimensional image and the additional information becomes large, the visibility becomes deteriorated.
Furthermore, a configuration is also proposed in which the additional information is affixed on an object having a depth in a predetermined range, but the object may not have an area where the additional information can be displayed, for example, an area into which characters can be fit. In a case where the above-mentioned countermeasures are conducted, a problem occurs that the additional information may not be displayed.